FRANCE AND REAL Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has apologised after he was dropped by major Chinese brands for apparently joking about Mao Zedong in a video that has gone viral.
The row deepened when, despite La Liga also apologising, state-owned China Media Group (CMG) said Chinese state television was suspending broadcasts of matches from the Spanish league.
The offending video shows Mbappé saying that the funniest internet meme he had seen involving him was of his face photoshopped onto that of “some guy – I think he’s a Chinese dictator”.
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This was an apparent reference to a meme of Mbappé superimposed on an image of Mao. The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by AFP.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappé said in a statement in French, Chinese and English. “I apologise to everyone my words have upset.”
La Liga said it “deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments have caused among Chinese fans. These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent La Liga.”
In China, jokes about Mao, the country’s founding leader who died in 1976 – and whose drastic policies are blamed by historians for mass starvation and millions of deaths – remain taboo.
Beverage giant Dongpeng, which during this year’s World Cup ran adverts with AI-generated images of Mbappé consuming its sports drink, said it was terminating cooperation with the France captain.
Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, and cheesemaker Milkground also said that they were cutting ties with Mbappé, who until now was hugely popular among Chinese fans with millions of social media followers.
China’s foreign ministry said it was aware of the reports regarding Mbappé, who on Monday finished runner-up to English forward Harry Kane in the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player.
“Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with unanimous rejection from all sectors of Chinese society,” spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular briefing.
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Chinese sponsors drop Mbappé, state TV suspends La Liga coverage, following Mao Zedong comment
FRANCE AND REAL Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has apologised after he was dropped by major Chinese brands for apparently joking about Mao Zedong in a video that has gone viral.
The row deepened when, despite La Liga also apologising, state-owned China Media Group (CMG) said Chinese state television was suspending broadcasts of matches from the Spanish league.
The offending video shows Mbappé saying that the funniest internet meme he had seen involving him was of his face photoshopped onto that of “some guy – I think he’s a Chinese dictator”.
This was an apparent reference to a meme of Mbappé superimposed on an image of Mao. The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by AFP.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappé said in a statement in French, Chinese and English. “I apologise to everyone my words have upset.”
La Liga said it “deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments have caused among Chinese fans. These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent La Liga.”
In China, jokes about Mao, the country’s founding leader who died in 1976 – and whose drastic policies are blamed by historians for mass starvation and millions of deaths – remain taboo.
Beverage giant Dongpeng, which during this year’s World Cup ran adverts with AI-generated images of Mbappé consuming its sports drink, said it was terminating cooperation with the France captain.
Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, and cheesemaker Milkground also said that they were cutting ties with Mbappé, who until now was hugely popular among Chinese fans with millions of social media followers.
China’s foreign ministry said it was aware of the reports regarding Mbappé, who on Monday finished runner-up to English forward Harry Kane in the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player.
“Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with unanimous rejection from all sectors of Chinese society,” spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular briefing.
– © AFP 2026
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